Chapter 40: Pointer (7)
40 – Pointer (7)
Stay safe.
Lin Xun’s hand, which had been stroking Zhi Zhen’s fur, froze.
His entire body froze as well.
Zhi Zhen didn’t freeze; Zhi Zhen nuzzled against his hand.
A full minute passed before Lin Xun was nudged awake by Zhi Zhen, his brain restarting as he thought, Is my idol concerned about me?
It seemed that was indeed the case.
A happy Zhi Zhen: I will.
A happy Zhi Zhen: Nothing happened today either.
Dong Jun: Mm.
Dong Jun must have been in a very bad mood today, being so sparing with words. Lin Xun felt the conversation was likely to end here.
He sensed this was a bit dangerous, so he continued sending messages: Would you like to see Zhi Zhen?
Dong Jun: Okay.
Lin Xun then took a few photos of Zhi Zhen in his arms and sent them to Dong Jun one by one.
This cat was good-looking, with almost no bad angles, making it suitable for any shot.
Two minutes after sending them, the screen suddenly lit up—Dong Jun had sent a video call invitation.
Lin Xun’s heart stirred. He glanced in the mirror to confirm his current appearance wasn’t bad, then switched to the computer screen and accepted the invitation.
When he saw Dong Jun appear on the screen, however, he was taken aback.
Today, Dong Jun wore a silver-gray silk shirt, still in his usual style, but without glasses.
It was as if something had changed. Without the glasses to obscure them, the contours of his features became more profound and distinct. This person was already breathtakingly handsome to begin with, but now he was even more… indescribable.
However, his eyes—without glasses, they seemed to lose focus. Unlike the usual slight warmth within his coolness, they now carried a kind of aloof indifference, as if his aura had risen several levels.
This expression and appearance were different from Lin Xun’s impression of Dong Jun, but they weren’t jarring either.
Lin Xun thought, Now it fits. This style was exactly like the style of Dong Jun’s code—devoid of much emotion, as if capable of controlling everything.
But this also made him afraid to speak to Dong Jun.
Dong Jun spoke first.
He said calmly, “Zhi Zhen.”
Zhi Zhen, who had been watching the birds on the hawthorn tree outside, turned its head sharply upon hearing this voice. Seeing Dong Jun on the screen, it immediately let out a “meow” and stretched out a paw to touch the screen.
Lin Xun held it closer to the screen.
A hint of a smile seemed to flicker in Dong Jun’s eyes, which made Lin Xun breathe a sigh of relief.
But then, remembering that his idol was dissatisfied with him today and that this smile was only because of the cat, he gradually began to feel sour again.
Next, he saw Dong Jun’s gaze shift toward him: “How are you two getting along?”
“Very well,” Lin Xun scratched Zhi Zhen’s ear. “But it still seems to miss you a lot.”
Zhi Zhen had already realized it couldn’t touch Dong Jun and meowed several times.
Dong Jun said softly, “Be good.”
Zhi Zhen: “Meow…”
It seemed Zhi Zhen liked Dong Jun more than it liked him.
And it seemed Dong Jun liked Zhi Zhen more than he liked him.
He was getting a double dose of lemon.
Just as he was feeling down, he heard Dong Jun say, “You’re unhappy?”
“No,” Lin Xun perked up. “About today’s incident…”
Dong Jun: “It’s fine.”
Lin Xun looked at Dong Jun.
Dong Jun met his gaze, then said calmly, “Just be more careful in the future.”
“…Okay,” Lin Xun agreed.
Dong Jun opened the glasses case on the table beside him and put back the thin gold-framed glasses.
The glasses softened his features quite well. The moment he put them on, the cold and powerful low pressure from earlier seemed to instantly dissipate. Before Lin Xun’s eyes was once again the elegant and easygoing Dong Jun.
Lin Xun felt a slight curiosity. “Are you nearsighted?”
Dong Jun: “No.”
Lin Xun: “Then… are the glasses just for decoration?”
Dong Jun looked at him, seemingly raising an eyebrow slightly, then said, “Blue light protection.”
“Is that so.” Lin Xun smiled. “I just thought… you look very good in glasses.”
Dong Jun also curved his lips slightly.
“Ruan Zhi said the same thing,” he said. “Later, I realized that when I don’t wear glasses, people seem too afraid to talk to me.”
“It’s very different,” Lin Xun gradually spoke more freely in front of Dong Jun now. “Right now, I feel you’re very gentle, but earlier, I thought you were the kind of person who… is very cold.”
Dong Jun frowned slightly. “Did I scare you?”
“No.” Lin Xun shook his head. “I just felt a bit too intimidated to speak.”
Dong Jun: “So, you think… I’m easy to talk to now?”
Lin Xun stopped Zhi Zhen from trying to bite the screen and said, “Yes.”
He saw the smile in Dong Jun’s eyes deepen.
Dong Jun said, “Perhaps.”
Lin Xun: “After all, you’ve always been very kind to me, and you even have a cat.”
With that, he looked at the well-behaved Zhi Zhen in his arms. “You must really dote on Zhi Zhen.”
Dong Jun: “You don’t have to use ‘you’ in the formal sense.”
“I can’t,” Lin Xun said. “If I don’t, I wouldn’t know how to speak properly.”
Dong Jun: “That makes me feel like you and Zhi Zhen are the same species.”
Lin Xun: “…”
He opened his mouth, trying to drop the formal address, but failed.
He could only say, “…I’m afraid you’ll keep thinking that way.”
Dong Jun: “I’ll try to get used to it.”
Lin Xun laughed while holding Zhi Zhen.
Dong Jun: “What are you laughing at?”
Lin Xun: “I don’t know.”
—It was as if as long as Dong Jun’s attitude toward him was friendly, he could relax a lot more.
Dong Jun: “Get some good rest.”
Lin Xun: “…”
He said, “My mental state is still quite normal.”
Dong Jun smiled and didn’t say anything more.
The following topics were ordinary, forced small talk about the weather and Zhi Zhen’s condition for five awkward minutes before the call ended.
Lin Xun got up from his computer chair, lay back on the bed, and lifted Zhi Zhen up.
“Zhi Zhen,” he said, “I think your Dong Jun still thinks quite highly of me.”
“I’ve felt this way for a long time…” He paused here, smiled, pursed his lips, and didn’t continue. “It feels like I’m dreaming.”
Zhi Zhen tilted its head.
Lin Xun noticed that the program frame around it had disappeared again.
He put Zhi Zhen down, and the cat sat on his chest, its tail flicking behind it to playfully hook his arm.
Lin Xun: “You can play like this too?”
He thought for a moment and muttered to himself, “Isn’t it said that cats aren’t very aware of their own tails? That’s why they often chase them in circles.”
Zhi Zhen’s tail seemed to freeze.